Tips for Practicing Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation take practice. Most of us live the majority of our lives thinking about the future or ruminating about the past. To fully focus on the present moment without judgment? That is often not an easy task. Sometimes, clients may find traditional meditation boring or don’t have “time” to practice Mindfulness. I encourage you to instead, incorporate mindfulness naturally into your day. Be mindful during everyday tasks that would do anyway. Here are 7 examples:
Mindfully take a shower. Notice the temperature of the water. Smell your shampoo. Observe any judgments that arise. Hear the sound of the water hitting the sides of the shower and the ground.
Mindfully eat a meal, or at least a few bites. Often people eat quickly without even noticing the taste of your food. This time, try to savor each and every bite. Does your food taste different at the front of the mouth versus the back? What is the texture of your food?
Turn your commute into a Mindfulness game. I had a 40 minute commute when I was learning Mindfulness. I challenged myself to be Mindful for as much of the ride as possible and one way I did this was to turn it into a game: each day I had to identify at least one thing I’d never noticed before. Of course this became harder over time since I took the same route each day but I was always able to find something I hadn’t noticed before. I also had opportunities to catch my mind wandering and bring it back to the moment letting go of any judgments that came up.
Mindfully notice a child’s laughter. Whether it’s your own child or a kid you notice at the grocery store, notice how they laugh without a care in the world completely immersed in whatever is bringing them joy right then.
Mindfully brush your teeth. Notice the feel of the bristles moving over each individual tooth. Observe the taste of your toothpaste. Hear the water running as you rinse.
Mindfully talk to someone on the phone. This time, when you make a phone call put down all other distractions and focus 100% of your attention on the conversation at hand. Take care to let go of any judgmental thoughts about yourself or the other person and simply be present in the conversation. You may be amazed at how this can quickly have a positive impact on your relationships and may even lead to shorter, more productive conversations when you clearly hear and understand one another!
Observe your breathe in the still moments throughout your day. Perhaps you only have 30 seconds, but that is enough time to feel air entering and exiting your body, to notice the rate that you are breathing and to accept the relaxation the breath can offer.
Begin Counseling Today With Aspire Counseling!
If you need help facing your fear, anger, sadness, shame, disappointment please reach out to us today through the contact form on this page or by calling 573-328-2288. We have therapists trained in treatments such as Mindfulness who will be glad to help you find some ways to find peace. We will help you to look straight at them and figure out how to begin taking the power, access calmness, and move forward! If you think you would benefit from working with a therapist who focuses on mindfulness and you live in the Columbia, MO area, we’d love to help. Typically, Aspire Counseling therapists are ready to meet you where you are in your healing. To get started follow these simple steps:
1. Call 573-328-2288 or fill out our contact form.
2. Meet with one of our therapists for a free consultation.
3. Start getting the help need!
Other Mental Health Services at Aspire Counseling
Mindfulness for Mental Health Counseling is not the only services we offer at our Columbia, MO clinic. Other mental health services that Aspire Counseling provides include anxiety treatment, depression counseling, counseling for college students, counseling for caregivers, grief counseling, teen counseling, counseling through stressful life transitions, LGBTQIA+ affirming counseling, DBT, trauma therapy for children and teens, counseling for sexual assault survivors, and online therapy. Contact us today!
Other Mindfulness and Meditation Resources:
*Three Ways to Practice Gratitude